Automobile spring



June 16, 1931.

u. A. INMAN AUTOMOBILE SPRING Filed may 26, 1928 INVENTO/Z ULYSSES A. .INM

AN y l/IJ HTZ'OFNEY the quarter spring whereby thefree endsfof.

. increased strength.

Patented June;- 16, 1931 LYssns' nond nnacn; earns-03mm W M E $33 j Application filed nay-"2c,

rigidly secured at oneend to said-frame member and at the opposite endto the end of the springs may move upwardly and outwardly when the spring is flexed. 1

The primary object of my invention'isto' provide an improved sprlng suspenslon for automobiles and the like.

Another object is to provide animproved spring which will afford aneflicient spring suspension Without the use of i shackles or bearing members. I A further vobject isto provide an improved spring structure ofeflicient resiliency and Another object is to provide animproved spring structure wherein the main leaf is supported along its full length by asecond "supporting leaf aclaptedto support the body of an automobile in event themain leaf should. be broken without interfering or impairing the normalaction of said main leaf. 1 v

Another object is to PIOVldBflIlflIDPIOVGd springv structure: and arrangement which may be economically manufactu-red' and which will facilitate assembly and installa tion.

of improved construction and inereased'ef ficiency. f I ,I accomplishthese and other objects by means" of the improved device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present Fig. 2 is a simllar-vlew, with the spring to the position resulting. whenthe -spri ng is flexed under a heavy shock orload p 1 i Fig. 3 is a transverse 1 sectional fdeta l, drawn upon a large scale and showingthe 1928. Serial no. 280 ,8661

mannerein whieh the-main spring is rigidly secured to, the frame and Fig.14j is a broken bottom view. of the spring se,curingmeans'., r

Referring to the drawlngs, the numeral 1 is used to designate alongitudinal frame member of an automobile chassis. The member l-i's ofthe usual channel form having the, end upwardly curved to afford clearance above an axlehousing 2. The extreme end ofthe member 1 isjleft .open'and is shaped. to incline slightly downwardly, substantiallyv as shown. e x 1 .J Aiquarterspring consisting of a main leaf Sand a'plurality ofauxiliaryior supporting leaves 3 isrigidlysecured to the end of the member 1. The leaves 3 and 3 of the spring arepreferably fittedinto the open end of the frame member 1 and rigidly secured bybolts 4- extending through the upper and lower flanges of the channel member land through theen'ds of the spring leaves to rigidly secure theleaves withtheir free ends extending longitudinally fromthe end of said frame member 1. The leaves 3 and-3. are-shaped-toextend downwardly along acurve of relatively long radius, as shown.

and a plurality ,;of auxiliary or'supporting leaves 6' is mountedbelow the frame member. .1 and quarter spring 3. rigidly secured at its-inner end to the frame member 1 by means of a suitable bolt-7 in ser'ted through registering apertures formed in the member 1 and the end of the main leaf 6.. The opposite end of the main leaf 6 is rigidly bolted to] the adj aoent outwardly ex tending end of the mainleaf 3 of the quarter spring bymeans of a suitable bolt 8. The mainspring 6 isn'ormally curved as shown" in'FigL' I and arranged to have the axle housingQ rigidly secured thereon in the ordinary manner to suspend the member 1 and the body] of an automobile carried thereon upon the axle housing. u a a 7 The second leaf of the main spring,that is,

Amain springcomprising a main leaf 6 86 J The-main leaf 6 is o the leaf 6 positionedimmediately next to the main leaf 6, is made of substantially the same Y length'assaid main, leaf ,6, tl'l6 ends of said leaf 6- being extendedpast the securing bolts to the end of the leaf 3 and to be slidably IllOVr able past the head of thewbolt 8. The succeedingleaves 3 and 6, of the quarterand main springs respectively, are made successively shorter and are held in assembled relation by suitable spring clips 14 in the ordinary- In operation, the quarter and main spring of each set are secured to the frame and to each other as shown. Under normal conditions, the weight of the automobile will be carried by the main spring 6 in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

\Vhen the spring is flexed by a sudden shock or b an increased load, the spring members are isplacedtothe position indicated in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. I. As the spring is compressed, the main leaf 6 is bent upward- 1y against the under side of the frame memher 1 and at the same time, the outer ends of i the main and quarter springs are moved up- 'As the main leaf 6 is moved to engage an increased length along the member 1 and leaf 3, the effective length of the spring leaf is shortened, and the resistance to further flexing is thereby proportionately increased. In this manner, the resistance due to shortening the effective spring length is added to the normal increased resistance to bending in the spring itself, and the efiiciency of the spring in carrying an overload or when subjected to heavy shock is accordingly increased.

The second leaves 3 and 6 are extended to substantially the ends of the main leaves 3 and 6 respectively and are slotted so that in straightening the springs under load or shock, the said second leavesmay be moved relatively to the bolts 7 and 8. In this manner, the second leaves do not interfere with the normal flexing of the main leaves, but in event a main leaf should break, the load will be carried by the adjacent second leaf and prevent the frame member 1 from dropping down onto the axle housing. 7

Inthe drawings, I haveillustrate'd my improved spring only as applied to the rearward'end of an automobile frame 'in'ember to suspend said frame over the rear axle housing of an automobile. However, the device may be applied in a fully analogous manner to the front end of the frame to suspend the same over the front axle of the automobile. The specific details of structure and arrangement are of course subject to modification in numerous ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore desire to avail myself of all modifications which may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A spring suspension for automobiles comprising a quarter spring rigidly secured to the frame of an automobile and extending longitudinally therefrom; and a main spring rigidly secured at one end to the frame and I rigidly secured at the opposite end to the outwardly extending end of the quarter spring, the flexing of the main spring being controlled at both: ends by; positive contacting engagement with the adjacent surfaces of the frame and quarter spring.

2. A spring suspension for automobiles comprising a quarter spring rigidly secured to the frame of an automobile and curved downwardly and rearwardly, said quarter spring extending longitudinally from the end of the frame; and a main spring rigidly secured at one end to the frame and rigidly secured at the opposite end to the outwardly extending end of the quarter spring, the joined ends of the main and quarter springs being secured in fiat'contacting relation to control relativeflexing of the springs and being movable vertically and longitudinally when the spring is flexed.

3. A spring suspension for automobiles comprising a" quarter spring having a main leaf rigidly secured to the frame of an automobile and extending longitudinally from the frame; a main spring having a main lea-f rigidly secured at one end to the frame and rigidly securedat the opposite end to the main leaf of the quarter spring; and piural-ity of supporting leaves mounted in proximate relation to the main leaf of each spring, the supporting leaf immediately next to each main leaf being slotted to receive the main leaf securing means'to perm-it longitudinal movement and to prevent lateral movement of each supporting leaf relative to the adjacent main leaf.

4. A spring suspension for automobiles comprising a quarter spring having a main leaf rigidly secured to the frame of an automobile and extending longitudinally from i the frame; a plurality of supporting leaves mounted in proximate relation to the main leaf; a main spring having a main leaf rigidly secured at one end to the frame and rigidly secured at the opposite end to the main leaf -35 bolt rigidly securing one end of the main leaf of the quarter spring; and a plurality of supporting leaves mounted in proximate relation to the main leaf of the main spring, the sup-porting leaf immediately next to said main leaf extending past the securing means at the ends of said mainleaf and being slidably movable relative tosaid securing means.

5. A spring suspension for automobiles comprising a quarter spring having a main leaf rigidly secured to the frame of .an automobile and extending longitudinally from the frame; a plurality of supporting leaves mounted in proximate relation to the main leaf; a main spring having a main leaf rigidly secured at one end to the frame and rigidly secured at the opposite end to the main leaf of the quarter spring; and a plurality of supporting leaves mounted in proximate relation to the main leaf of the main spring, the supporting leaves of the main and quarter springs immediately next to the main leaves of said springs extending past the securing means and being slidably movable relative to said securing means.

6. A spring suspension for automobiles comprising a quarter spring having a main leaf rigidly secured at one end to the frame of an automobile and extending longitudinally from the end of the frame; a second leaf mounted in proximate relation to the first leaf and slotted adjacent the outer end; a plurality of supporting'leaves .mounted in proximate relation to the main and second leaves; a main spring comprising a main leaf, .a second leaf of substantially the same length as said main leaf and slotted adjacent the ends thereof, anda plurality of supporting leaves mounted in proximate relation to the main and second leaves of the spring; securing means rigidly securing the main leaf of the main spring to the frame, said securing means extending through the slot of the second leaf and permitting sliding movement thereof; and securing means rigidly securing the outer end of the main leaf of the main spring to the outwardly extending end of the main leaf of the quarter spring, said securing means extending through thegslots of the second leaves and permitting sliding movement of said second leaves relative to the securing means.

'1 A spring suspension for automobiles comprising a quarter spring consisting of a main leaf, :1. second leaf of substantially the same length as the main leaf and slotted ad'- 7 j acent the outer end thereof, and a plurality of supporting leaves; securing means rigidly securing the leaves of the quarter spring of the main spring to the frame and extending through the slot of the second leaf'to permit sliding movement thereof; and a bolt rigidly securing the opposite end of the main i leaf of the main spring to the main leaf of the quarter spring, said bolt extending through the slots of the second leaves of said springs to permitsliding movement thereof relative to the bolt and main leaves.

8. A spring suspension for automobiles comprising a quarter spring rigidly secured at one end to the frame of an automobile and extending longitudinally therefrom; and a main spring rigidly secured at one end to the frame and rigidly secured at the opposite end. to the outwardly extending end of the quarter spring, the ends of said springbeing held in flat contacting relation with the frame and with the quarter sprin along a variable length increasing with flexing of the spring under an increased shock or load.

9. In a spring suspension for automobiles, a main spring having a main leaf rigidly se cured at its ends in flat proximate contacting relation to members supported thereon, the flexing of said spring causing varying lengths of the ends of the main leaf to contact with the adjacent surfaces of the sup ported member to vary the effective length of the spring under varying stress and control the flexing of the spring; a plurality of supporting spring leaves mounted in connection with the main leaf, the supporting leaf immediately adjacent the main leaf being slotted to-receive the securing means by which the main leaf is secured to the sup ported members to permit longitudinalmovement and prevent lateral movement of the supporting leaf relative to the main leaf.

10. In a spring suspension for automobiles,

the combination with a vehicle frame memtacting relation thereto; and spring means rigidly secured to the frame and rigidly Se cured in flat contacting relation to the free end of the main spring leaf, said main spring 11!! leaf being flexed under stress to conform to the contour of the curved frame portion and i to contact with the spring means along varying lengths of the main leaf to vary the ef; i

fective length ofthe main spring and control the flexing thereof under varying stress.

In witness whereof, I hereunto set my sig nature.

. -ULYSSES A. INMAN.

to the frame, the leaves extending longitudinally from the end of the frame a main spring comprising a main leaf, a second leaf of substantially the same length as said main leaf and having slots adjacent the ends thereof, and a plurality of supporting leaves; a 

